Ash receptacle



J. VISSER As'H RECEPTACLE May 7, 1940.

Filed Jain. 27, 1958 Patented May 7, 1940 2,199,451 ASH RECEPTAGLE John Visser, Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Reconstruction Finance Corporation, Detroit, United States Application January 27,

Mich., a corporation of 1938, Serial No. 187,126

1 Claim. (01L zoo-19.5)

This invention relates to ash receptacles and more particularly to ash receptacles of the type especially adapted for installation as an accessory in the instrument panel of an automobile or 5 the like.

' An object of this invention is to provide an ash receptacle of such construction that it will occupy a minimum amount of space to the rear of the panel on which it is mounted.

Another object of this inventionis to provide a compact ash receptacle of the foregoing type in which the ash container may be moved over an arcuate path into open and closed positions with a minimum amount of frictional resistance to its movement. r r

Still another object of this invention is-to provide an ash receptacle of theforegoing type in which the container and casing are so interrelated that the possibility of rattles between these parts is reduced to a minimum.. I

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there is provided a tubular casing arcuate in a longitudinal direction and adapted to extend downwardly from the point of engagement of the outer end of the receptacle with the lar configuration to that of the casing so as to telescope the same and have sliding engagement therein, and means for limiting outward'movement of the ash container to its open position and which is manually deflectable to enable removal of the container from the casing when it is desired to empty the container.

Another feature of the invention relates to the provision of a novel arcuate sliding arrangement between the container and its casing of such construction that the container may be moved to and fro in the receptacle with a minimum amount of frictional resistance being offered thereto andyet be held against rattling in the casing.

Other objects and features of this invention will morefully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a single embodiment thereof and inwhich:

Figure 1 is a front view of my novel ash re-' ceptacle showing it applied to a suitable panel;

' Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken,

on the line II1I of Figure 1 looking in a direction indicated by the arrows and showing in dotted lines the position of the ash container when it is moved to an open position;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional View on a reduced scale taken on line III-HI of Figure 2. looking downwardly; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line I V-IV of Figure 1 looking downwardly and showing the detail construction of the handle on the ash container.

' mounting panel, and an ash container of a simior outermost endsuitably anchored or fastened at H to the inner edge of the panel I! The The reference character Hldesignates'generalpanel l2 has an opening of such configuration as to enable the tublar casing to snugly telescope and fit the same. In this instanceit will be perceived that the casing has a'rectangular cross configuration and in which finished outer panel l6 and ash container l! are adapted'to be seated. This construction is'such that the assembly is provided with a substantially flush, smooth, and

pleasing appearance. Also,'the outer surfaceof the panel l6 maybe given any suitable finish,

such, for example, as a grain finishfto corree.

spond with the finish on the i panel l2 in' which 7 the ash receptacle assembly is installed.

In addition thereto the panel l6 has secured tov it an outwardly projectinghandle 18, which, as

' shown in Figure 4, is in the form ofa segment of a circle so' that its inner and fiatside is contiguous and flush withthe outer surface of the panel It. This handle is suitably secured to the panel or endpiece-l 6. by concealedmeans, namely bolt I9. Furthermore, thehandle has itsupper and lower sides recessed, as-indicated at 20 28 in Figure 2, so as to p-rovidea better'finger grip.

This handle may be madeofany suitable material, such, for example, as .a phenolic condensation product, and moreover it may be finished to blend with the appointments of the other knobs and handles employed on the instrument panel I2. I

The ash container I7 is ofltubular formation and is longitudinally arcuate as is evident from Figure '2. Thisconfiguration is such that it can nest inside of or telescope the casing it. In

other words, it is of such longitudinal shape and cross sectional form that it may have a-sliding movement inside of the casing which projects downwardly from its place of attachment to the instrument panel l2.v -1

e that when the ash container 1 l is disposed within the casing l0, it is substantially spaced from the adjoining walls of the casing Hi. It should also be noted from Figure 3 that the container ll Then, too, it will be perceived from Figure 3 10 section (Figure 3) with its two lower corners l has a cross sectional configuration closely fol lowing that of the casing ID but is generally of a substantially smaller size than that of the casing lEI so that it may telescope the latter.

The two lowermost corners of the container !l are bevelled as indicated at 2l-2l, and these bevelled corners are directly inside of and opposite the bevelled corners !3l3 of the casing it The two bevelled corners or sides 3-48 of the casing H! are each provided with a longitudinally extending arcuate rib or bead 22 for providing for substantially a line contact between each corner i3 and its adjoining and contiguous corner,

2|. It will, of course, be appreciated that these longitudinally arcuate ribs or beads 22 could be disposed equally well on the corners or sides 25 as on the sides or corners l3. The purpose of this construction is to provide the ash container ll with two sets of line contact slides which facilitate the sliding movement of the container within the casing. That is, to say, by having line contacts instead of stufacecontacts between the container H and. the casing ill, it follows that there will be less frictional resistance to the sliding movement of the containerwithin the casing.

In order to maintain the container in proper cooperation with the slide ribs 2222, a spring 25 is disposed at the top side of the container ll. This spring has its intermediate portion anchored by rivets or the like at 25 toa depressed section 2'! formed in the upper or top wall of the container ll. The oppositely extending legs 23 and 29 have their free ends turned and disposed .in

tight, resilient engagement with the inner sur- (Figure 2).

face of two longitudinally extending ribs 3il-3il formed in the top wall of the casing I?! (Figure 3). This arrangement is also, advantageous in that it tends to minimize theamount of frictional contact between the container and the casing.

The forward or front end of the leg 25 of spring 25 is also provided with an extension 3! which has a cup-shaped. depression 32, the bottom of which is suitably apertured as indicated at 33 This extension serves two purposes in my receptacle: one is to serve as a manually operable finger for releasing the spring from rocking engagement with the casing as will be described hereinafter; and the second is to provide a snapper on which the lit end of the cigarette or cigar may be applied to free the same from ashes or to extinguish thev same.

When the ash container Ill is moved forward to its open position as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2. it will be perceived that the cup-shaped extension or finger ii! is then disposed outside of the casing l8, so'that it is accessible for manipulation. At that time the uppermost extremity of the forwardly extending. leg is in cooperation with an abutment 34! which comprises a downwardly struck or depending portion formed integral with an interior part of the front end of the casing lil. This depending portion or abutment M is adapted to enter an aperture or slot 35 in the uppermost portion of spring leg 29 so as to serve as a lock forlholding the ash container in its open position and against further removal from the casing It].

In addition to the foregoing, attention is directed to the fact that the upper side of the container I! is cut away up to the edge 36 in Figure 2 so as to provide an opening through which ashes, cigars, cigarettes, matches, and the like can be disposed inside of the container ll. Likewise this opening also serves as a means for enabling the emptying of the container of its contents.

When it is desired to remove the container ll from the casing 29 to empty the former, the same may be readily effected by manually depressing the cup-shaped extension ti on finger 25 until the upper end of the forwardly extending spring leg 2Q clears the projection or abutment 34. Thereafter the container may he slid or drawn outwardly of the casing to a position where it is entirely free of the same.

Of course, during the normal sliding movement of the container ll within the casing in, it will be appreciated that the spring 25 constantly exerts a resilient pressure against the internal surface of the upper side of the casing It], so that the container is at all times urged downwardly into tight sliding cooperation with the spaced ribs 22-42 previously described. This feature prevents rattling of the container within the casing and yet enables the container to he slid to and fro within the casing and with a minimum amount of resistance to such sliding movement.

I desire it understood that while I have illustrated the spring 25 as being carried by the container, this is only because this arrangement is simpler and more economical to manufacture. The essential concept, however, relates to the disposition .of the spring between the adjoining upper surfaces of the container and casing in such a manner that it can properly act to keep the container in tight sliding engagement with the ribs 22-22.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

Anash receptacle especially adapted for use on automobile instrument panels and the like comprising a casing of tubular construction and being segmentally circular in a longitudinal direction. an ash container of a configuration simi lar to that of the casing and telescoping the same for sliding movement therein to open and closed positions, said casing having spaced longitudinally arcuate tracks and said ash container hav ing longitudinal arcuate beveled surfaces engaging said tracks for facilitating sliding movement of the container within said casing, and a manually depressable leaflike spring carried on the outer peripheralsurface of the ash container between said casing and ash container for engage- -ment with an abutment on thecasing to limit an opening movement of the ash container, said spring being manually depressable to disengage it from said abutment when it is desired to entirely remove the container from or fully close it within the casing, said sliding movement occurring under tension between said casing and container in a true radial direction in all telescopic positions,

JOHN VISSER. 

